Abstracts in English, Southern Sotho and Zulu / The primary objective of the study was to explore customers’ perceptions of the service quality provided in the hotel industry, in Pretoria. Considering the growth of the hotel industry in Pretoria, this study revealed that customers expect to receive a high level of service quality, which will lead to customer satisfaction and produce a positive perception of hotel service. An exploratory research design was adopted in this study and qualitative data were collected through interviewing customers of a hotel. In terms of limitations, this study was conducted at one selected hotel in Pretoria. Atlas.ti software was used to analyse collected data. The analysis of the data identified a number of specific themes that were relevant to shaping the perceptions of the respondents, in terms of service quality and their satisfaction with the service quality received. The themes supported existing literature in terms of the factors influencing perceptions of service and the specific influences within those themes were elaborated on, leading to recommendations for managing service quality perceptions in the hotel industry. / Maikemišetšomagolo a dinyakišišo e bile go utolla maikutlo a badiriši mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tše di abiwago ka intastering ya dihotele ka Pretoria. Ka ge di hlokometše kgolo ya intasteri ya dihotele ka Pretoria, dinyakišišo tše di utollotše gore ba emetše go hwetša ditirelo tša boleng, tšeo di tlago feletša ka go kgotsofala ga badiriši le go tšweletša maikutlo a makaone a tirelo ya dihotele. Tlhamo ya dinyakišišo tša go utolla e dirišitšwe ka mo dinyakišišong tše gomme tshedimošo ya boleng e kgobokeditšwe ka go botšiša badiriši ba dihotele dipotšišo. Mabapi le mellwane, dinyakišišo tše di dirilwe ka hoteleng e tee yeo e kgethilwego ka Pretoria. Softewere ya Atlas.ti e šomišitšwe go sekaseka tshedimošo ye e kgobokeditšwego. Tshekatsheko ya tshedimošo e utollotše merero ye mmalwa ye itšego yeo e bego e le maleba mabapi le go beakanya maikutlo a baarabi, mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo le go kgotsofala ga bona mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tšeo di hweditšwego. Merero e thekgile dingwalwa tše di lego gona mabapi le mabaka ao a huetšago maikutlo ka ga ditirelo gomme dikhuetšo tše itšego ka gare ga merero yeo di hlathollotšwe, gomme se sa feletša ka ditšhišinyo tša go laola maikutlo ka ga boleng bja ditirelo ka intastering ya dihotele. / Inhloso enkulu yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuhlola imibono yamakhasimende ngekhwalithi yesevisi enikezwa embonini yamahhotela, ePitoli. Uma kubhekwa ukukhula komkhakha wamahhotela ePitoli, lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi amakhasimende alindele ukuthola izinga eliphakeme lezinsizakalo, okuzoholela ekwanelisekeni kwamakhasimende futhi kuveze umbono omuhle wensizakalo yamahhotela. Lolu cwaningo oluchazayo lwamukelwe kanti lakhelwe phezulu kwemininingwane ebhekelele ubunjalo besimo yaqoqwa ngokuxoxisana namakhasimende asehhotela. Ngokwemikhawulo, lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ehhotela elilodwa elikhethiwe ePitoli. Kusetshenziswe isofthiweye noma uhlelo lokusebenza elibizwa nge-Atlas.ti ukuhlaziya imininingwane eqoqiwe. Ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kukhombe izingqikithi ezithile ebezifanele ukwakhela imibono yabaphenduli, ngokuya ngekhwalithi yesevisi nokweneliseka kwazo ngekhwalithi yesevisi etholakele. Izindikimba zisekele imibhalo ekhona ngokwezinto ezinomthelela emibonweni yesevisi kanye nemithelela ethize kulezo zingqikithi yachazwa kabanzi, okuholela ezincomweni zokuphatha imibono yekhwalithi yesevisi embonini yamahhotela. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Online learning through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) features in institutions of higher education globally. If integrated successfully online learning holds many benefits. Research however has highlighted that the focus of online learning is often on the technology, while pedagogical considerations are neglected. As such online learning has not yielded significant changes from a pedagogical perspective. The impetus of this study was driven by the need to find approaches of integrating pedagogically sound online learning in distance education (DE). The study employed a case study research design, and was qualitative in nature. Questionnaires, interviews and documents informed the case study. The findings of the study reveal that online learning should be purposefully planned. In light of the findings, the study presents a framework for the integration of online learning in DE. The framework is built on the concept of awareness and argues that online learning should depart from three types of awareness, i.e. lecturer, student and institutional. The framework is entrenched in theory from both DE and online learning and offers direction for stakeholders at various levels of DE higher education institutions in terms of integrating online learning. / Boithuti ka inthanete ka tšhomišo ya theknolotši ya tshedimošo le kgokagano (ICT) bo hlaga ka go dihlongwa tša thuto ya godingwana lefaseng ka bophara. Ge e le gore di kopantšwe ka katlego, boithuti ka inthanete bo na le mehola ye mentši. Le ge go le bjalo, dinyakišišo, di bontšhitše gore nepišo ya boithuti ka inthanete gantši e ka go theknolotši, mola ditlhoko tša mokgwathuto di hlokomologilwe. Ka fao, boithuti ka inthanete ga se bo tšweletše diphetogo tša go bonagala go tšwa go kgopolo ya mokgwathuto. Tlhohleletšo ya dinyakišišo tše e laolwa ke nyakego ya go hwetša mekgwa ye e kopantšwego ye e kwagalago ya thuto ya boithuti ka inthanete le boithutikgole (DE). Dinyakišišo di šomišitše tlhamo ya dinyakišišo ya tshekatsheko ya maemo, gomme ka tlhago e be e le tša boleng. Mananeopotšišo, dipoledišano le dingwalwa di tsebagaditše tshekatsheko ya maemo . Diphihlelelo tša dinyakišišo di utolla gore boithuti ka inthanete bo swanetše go beakanywa ka maikemišetšo. Go ya ka diphihlelelo, tlhako e hlagišwa ke kopanyo ya boithuti ka inthanete ka go DE. Tlhako ye e theilwe godimo ga kgopolo ya temošo le go hlagiša gore boithuti ka inthanete bo swanetše go tšwa go mehuta ye meraro ya temošo, k.g.r. mofahloši, baithuti le dihlongwa. Tlhako ye e hlalošwa ka botlalo ka go teori go tšwa go DE le boithuti ka bobedi ka inthanete gomme e fa taetšo go baamegi maemong a go fapafapana a dihlongwa tša thuto ya godingwana ya kgole go ya ka boithuti ka inthanete. / Ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha ngokusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bolwazi nokuxhumana (i-ICT) kuyinto ekhona ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme emhlabeni wonke. Uma kudidiyelwe ngempumelelo, ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha kunemihlomulo eminingi. Kodwa-ke, ucwaningo luqhakambise ukuthi ukugxila ekufundeni ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha kuvame ukuba mayelana nobuchwepheshe, bese kuthi okuphathelene nezindlela zokufundisa kunganakwa. Kanjalo, ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha akuzanga noshintsho oluningi maqondana nezindlela zokufundisa. Isisusa salolu cwaningo kwaba ngukukhuthazwa yisidingo sokuthola izindlela zokudidiyela izindlela zokufundisa ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha ezisebenzayo kwezemfundo yamabanga (i-DE). Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise uhlobo lokucwaninga olubheka izindawo ezithile okugxilwa kuzo kanti luwuhlobo olubheka imininingwane yezinto ezikhona ezingamaqiniso. Amaphephamibuzo, izingxoxiswano kanye nemiqulu yikona okwaholela ocwaningweni olugxila ezindaweni ezithile. Okwatholakala kulolu cwaningo kwaveza ukuthi ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha kumele kuhlelwe ngendlela. Ngenxa yokutholakele, uhlaka luhlinzekelwa ukuba kudidiyelwe ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha kwezemfundo yamabanga. Uhlaka lwakhiwe ngomqondo wokuqwashisa futhi lubeka phambili ukuthi ukufunda ngokuxhumana kwekhompuyutha kufanele kusukele ezinhlobeni ezintathu zokuqwashisa, kuthisha wasenyuvesi, kumfundi nakwisikhungo. Uhlaka lugxile emqondweni wezinzululwazi wakona kokubili imfundo yamabanga nokufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha futhi luhlinzeka umhlahlandlela kwabathintekayo emazingeni ahlukahlukene ezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme yamabanga maqondana nokudidiyela ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha. / Educational Studies / Ph. D. (Education)

This projects aims to develop design automation in product development. Design automation causes increase in producibility and decrease in product cost and manufacturing lead time. The study at hand is proposed to provide a new method and to introduce procedure to the design of wiring pattern for a car seat heater for Kongsberg Automotive, KA. KA is a Norwegian company and a global provider of engineering, design, and manufacture for seat comfort, driver and motion control systems, fluid assemblies, and industrial driver interface products. The method that currently is used in the company to create a wiring pattern is neither sufficient enough nor automated. In order to design the wiring pattern, at first procedure is handled by the designer. Secondly, car seat heater 2D layout is imported and then, the dimensions of the elements are defined as constraints. Then VBA codes are opened and the program is run. The result will be a wiring pattern in different 2D layouts. To make the design process easier, we have modeled five different layouts; wiring pattern of one element, two elements, three elements, five elements (with two back sides) and one element trapezoidal 2D layout. The algorithm written in VBA (Visual basic for application) creates the pattern according to the dimensions of the elements which are used as inputs to define constrained parameters. The created macros are simple to use and easy to modify, independent from the programming knowledge. The user is only responsible with parameter input and running the program. The solution gives wiring pattern for a car seat heater.

<p>In this thesis, two applications of dimensional deconstruction are studied. The first application is a model for neutrino oscillations in the presence of a large decon- structed extra dimension. In the second application, Kaluza{Klein dark matter from a latticized universal extra dimension is studied. The goal of these projects have been twofold. First, to see whether it is possible to reproduce the relevant features of the higher-dimensional continuum theory, and second, to examine the effect of the latticization in experiments. In addition, an introduction to the the- ory of dimensional deconstruction as well as to the theory of continuous extra dimensions is given. Furthermore, the various higher-dimensional models, such as Arkani-Hamed{Dvali{Dimopolous (ADD) models and models with universal extra dimensions, that have been intensively studied in recent years, are discussed.</p>

This paper is an exploration of the theme of pilgrimage in the following three works: Gan&dotbelow;d&dotbelow;vyuha, Journey to the West and The Life of Marpa the Translator. / Through an examination of the narrative structure of the texts, I derive a pattern which is consistent throughout these three Mahayana works. This pattern is then compared to the Mahayana doctrine of Two Truths, which is shown to be expressed by the literary pilgrimage. Finally, by exploring the ways in which these texts 'work' on the reader---both by seeing the protagonist go through the stages of Buddhist practice and through the reader's interaction with the text---I show how reading these stories can act as a transformative Buddhist practice.

Accessibility and use of social services by the Romany minority in Prachatice is a very topical issue. All social services provided are specified in the Social Services Act. The main mission of the aforesaid Act is to protect the rights and legitimate interests of individuals who are disadvantaged in the enforcement of their interests for various reasons. These reasons may include age, race, health handicap, critical life situation, insufficiently stimulating social environment, etc. The objective was to map social services used by the Romany minority in Prachatice. In order to fulfil the objective of the thesis, the following three research questions were put. RQ 1: What are the problems concerning which the Romany minority contacts social services organizations? RQ 2: Do the social services offered in Prachatice reflect the issues of the Romany population? RQ 3: What social needs of the Romany people in Prachatice remain unsatisfied? For the research part a qualitative methodology was used, which allowed to depict the dynamics of opinions and attitudes of all informants. The data were collected by means of a semi-structured interview technique. The research examined both the views of Romany citizens of Prachatice and the views of social workers from the local social services organizations. The data were collected from 17 informants in total. The obtained data were processed while using the grounded theory. As an important finding that resulted from my research, I deem the fact that the Romany population in Prachatice knows only nine social services organizations and uses only five of them (Most naděje, Céčko, Coolna, Lungo Drom, Phénix). Moreover, they use the social services of these organizations only sporadically or not at all. The social services used by the Romany people include leisure time activities, social consultancy, visits at schools, provision and arrangement of meals, provision of accommodation, individual planning, crisis intervention, safekeeping of valuables, financial assistance, outreach work, exchange program, indicative testing, pre-school preparation and catch-up lessons. The Romany people would welcome greater interest of social services organizations and their responsiveness. They would also appreciate more leisure time activities in their quarters, better facilities of the quarters and their surroundings, more culture for Romany people and a Romany club led by a Romany social worker. They would also welcome a Romany social worker in some other social services and at the Municipal Police of Prachatice. Informants lack contact with the majority society and better time availability of the urban mass transport and, last but not least, would welcome changes in the municipal government. Social workers would welcome a social service in Prachatice with a psychologist and psychiatrist available for children and adults, higher frequency of visits of the citizens' association Fokus České Budějovice, establishment of social accommodation facilities and a day-care centre for homeless people, social service for children up to three years, strengthening of the ground social work, and a social service aimed at hiring Romany people for temporary jobs. Based on the results derived from the interviews performed and from the data obtained, it is possible to formulate the following three hypotheses. H1: The service most used by the Romany population is social consultancy. H2: Organizations providing social services respond to the Romany issues. H3: Prachatice needs to strengthen ground social work. The findings revealed by this thesis may be used by the social services organizations in Prachatice as feedback from the Romany minority concerning the given issues. Thus the organizations can respond to the need of particular services, which may result in more frequent use of social services in Prachatice.

Magíster en Ciencias de la Ingeniería, Mención Ingeniería Geotécnica / La información experimental disponible de la resistencia cíclica de suelos arenosos proviene en su mayor parte de resultados de ensayos triaxiales cíclicos, bajo una condición de consolidación isótropa. Sin embargo, en la naturaleza prevalece el caso donde existe esfuerzo de corte estático inicial previo a la aplicación de la carga cíclica no-drenada. Experimentalmente se ha observado que la consolidación anisótropa influye en la resistencia cíclica de materiales arenosos, aun cuando los resultados reportados a la fecha no son concluyentes y en algunos casos resultan contradictorios. En la práctica actual, el efecto del corte estático inicial es incorporado a través del factor de corrección, K, el cual corrige la resistencia cíclica obtenida en ensayos con consolidación isótropa. En esta investigación se estudia la influencia del esfuerzo de corte estático inicial en la resistencia cíclica en una arena de relaves cicloneada, con 18 % de finos no-plásticos. Con el objeto de cuantificar el factor de corrección, K, se realizaron ensayos triaxiales cíclicos bajo condiciones de consolidación tanto isótropa como anisótropa, Todos los ensayos se llevaron a cabo con una presión de confinamiento efectiva igual a 1 Kg/cm2. Las densidades relativas utilizadas, post-consolidación isótropa, fueron iguales a 45% (caso suelto) y 75% (caso denso). Los valores de esfuerzo de corte estático inicial usados fueron 0.0; 0.1; 0.2; 0.4; 0.6; -0.2 y -0.4 Kg/cm2. Para los estados de carga en compresión, el factor de corrección, K, alcanza valores máximos de 1.8 para el material suelto y 1.3 para el denso. En extensión, en cambio, K, resulta consistentemente menor a la unidad. Se concluye que el esfuerzo de corte estático inicial afecta la resistencia cíclica, siendo mayor su influencia en suelos sueltos que en suelos densos. Aunque esta conclusión difiere de la mayor parte de las investigaciones publicadas internacionalmente, confirma tendencias reportadas por autores japoneses.

This work is a case study of sexual violence at the University of Richmond, which examines the major cases and changes that took place at the university in the period from 2011 to 2021. The topic of sexual violence on American campuses has received much attention prevention in 2011 and the increase in protests against sexual violence in 2017 led to greater public attention, during which students criticized universities for their inaction against perpetrators of sexual assault. In selected cases, this work points to the fact that the University of Richmond has faced several media-known cases of sexual harassment, which has forced it to take steps to increase the prevention of sexual violence on its campus. Furthermore, this study points to the limits of ethical research and restrictions that are associated with research on sexual harassment on American campuses. This made the possibility of agreeing research on campus more difficult and also pointed out that although university academics are aware that the data obtained by the questionnaire would be beneficial to the university, it is not possible for such research to be in charge as a primary research student.

Master’s thesis are concerned with the cutting ceramic materials and its ef-fective usage. The first part of the thesis is focused on the general properties of the cutting ceramics, its history, development, production and description of the various types. This part includes as well a description of the mechanic-physical properties and the potential of the usage for machining. The second part of the work solves the general evaluation of the cutting power. The main issue in the next part is the identification of cutting ceramics range and the selection accor-ding to main world producers. The fourth part deals with the assessments and the comparison of the working conditions for different types of the machined ma-terials. The technical economic assessment shows the potentials in the total pro-duction costs reduction.

MA (Xitsonga) / Ehansi kaSenthara ya M. E. R. Mathivha ya Tindzimi ta Afrika, Vutshila na Ndhavuko / Xikongomelokulu xa ndzavisiso lowu i ku kambisisa mathyelo ya mavito ya swikolo leswi kumekaka emigangeni ya hosi Muhlava, eka Masipala wa Tzaneen, eka xifundzatsongo xa Mopani, exifundzenikulu xa Limpopo. Xikongomelokulu lexi xi aviwa hi swiphemu swimbirhi leswikulu. Xosungula ku nga ku xopaxopa xivumbeko na nhlamuselo ya mavito ya swikolo swa ka Muhlava leswi thyiweke mavito ya vanhu, hi ku kongomisa eka mavito ya mani na mani na mavito ya vachaviseki. Xavumbirhi i ku lavisisa xivumbeko na nhlamuselo ya mavito ya swikolo swa ka Muhlava leswi thyiweke mavito ya swilo leswi nga riki vanhu swo tanihi milambu, tintshava, magova, tindhawu ni swin’wana ni swin’wana. Ndzavisiso lowu wu tirhisa thiyori yo hlamusela (Descriptivist Theory) leyi tumbuluxeke hi Kripke (1980). Hi ku landza Thiyori leyi vito rin’wana na rin’wana leri nga kona laha emisaveni ri na nhlamuselo yo karhi naswona ri na swivangelo leswi nga endla leswaku ri thyiwa. Ndzavisiso lowu wu endliwa hi ku landzelela xivumbeko xa nkoka. Mahungu lama nga xopaxopiwa eka ndzavisiso lowu ma hlengeletiwile hi ku tirhisa maendlo ya phurayimari, ku nga maendlelo lama kongomisaka eka ku kuma mahungu eka swihlovo swo sungula. Xitirho lexi tirhisiweke ehansi ka endlelo leri hi lexi vuriwaka inthavhiyu kumbe nhlokohliso wa swivutiso lexi endliwaka hi ndlela yo vulavurisana exikarhi ka vanhu vambirhi kumbe exikarhi ka munhu un’we na vanhu vo tala laha ku vutisiwaka swivutiso na ku nyika tinhlamulo hi ku vulavula. Swihlovo swa mina swa ndzavisiso i vavasati na vavanuna va ku huma eka miganga yo hambana ya le ka Hosi Muhlava, eka Masipala wa Tzaneen, ku nga eka Muhlava, eMariveni, eKhujwana na le Petanenge. Ku hlawuriwile vanhu lava nga vutisiwa swivutiso ku suka eka mitlawa ya vanhu leyi landzelaka: vaaki va miganga va nhungu, vaxinuna va mune na vavasati va mune, vadyondzisi va nhungu; vaxinuna va mune na vaxisati va mune, vafundhisi va nhungu; vaxinuna va mune na vaxisati va mune, na tindhuna ta nhungu. Mahungu man’wana lama nga tirhisiwa eka ndzavisiso lowu ma kumeka kusuka eka switsariwa swo tanihi tibuku, tijenali, maphephahungu na swin’wana. Eka ndzavisiso lowu ku tirhisiwile tindlela timbirhi ta ku xopaxopa mahungu, ku nga nxopaxopo wa vundzeni bya tsalwa na nxopaxopo wa nkoka hi ku landza vi mikongomelo. Endlelo ro sungula ri tirhisiwa ku longoloxa timhaka ta ndzavisiso lowu hi ku landza mikongomelo yo karhi. Endlelo ra vumbirhi ri vuriwa nxopaxopo wa vundzeni. Eka ndzavisiso lowu, endlelo leri ri tirhisiwile hi ndlela yo va ku xopaxopiwa mathyelo ya vito rin’wana na rin’wana ra lama nga hlengeletiwa hi xikongomelo xo kuma tinhlamuselo ta wona na ndlela leyi ma vumbiweke ha yona. Mbuyelo wa ndzavisiso lowu wu kumile leswaku mavito ya swikolo swa ka hosi Muhlava ma thyiwile hi xikongomelo xa ku xixima vachaviseki na ku tsundzuka mitirho leyinene leyi nga endliwa hi vanhu vo hambanahambana hi xikongomelo xa leswaku rixaka leri ra ha taka ri ta kuma matimu lama. / NRF